Do you like the idea of connecting with yourself while experiencing Svalbard's magnificent nature? Imagine taking time out to be fully present, strengthening your body and mind with yoga exercises. Our yoga trip to Svalbard in 2024 could be just what you're looking for. Here's an interview with our yoga guru, Isabel, who led the sessions on board the M/S Quest last spring.
From the second Isabel Holmquist saw an acquaintance's photos from a photo trip to Svalbard, she dreamed of experiencing the Norwegian archipelago. There were pictures of a small red fishing cabin by the water in an otherwise completely deserted landscape, of spectacular ice formations, snow-capped mountains, and clear blue fjords. It would take more than 20 years for Isabel to make her dream a reality, but at the end of May 2022, the trip finally happened. Isabel came along as a yoga instructor on one of M/S Quest's spring trips to Svalbard.
Isabel has been a yoga teacher for 15 years. She attended Gothenburg School of Economics and the plan was initially to follow the common career path, but when she had her first child, she chose to jump off the hamster wheel and open her own yoga studio in Gothenburg. Isabel wanted to try life as a self-employed person and devote herself to yoga full-time. Since then, she has run several yoga studios and for just over two years she has been living with her family in Åre. A Swedish ski resort and charming mountain village in the northern part of the country.
Isabel has been doing yoga since she was 15 and practices PREHAB yoga. A type of rehab yoga that increases strength and stability in the body while reducing the risk of injury. PREHAB yoga also makes you recover faster if you, in fact, injure yourself.
"For me, yoga is a way of connecting with myself and challenge my body physically. It feels good, makes me more present, fulfilled and I can sort my thoughts better."
For many years in her 20’s, Isabel was constantly on the move and no matter where she was in the world, she would find comfort and strength in practicing yoga.
"I knew that even though my life was chaotic, I would get exactly the same experience, whether I walked into a bikram yoga class in Santiago or Tel-Aviv."
The idea to organize a yoga trip to Svalbard emerged when Isabel got to know her neighbor, PolarQuest's popular expedition guide Henrik Törnberg.
It's hard to imagine anything more relaxing than doing yoga on a sun-warmed rock overlooking snow-capped mountain peaks and a crystal-clear fjord where the sky paints the world upside down. The experience is also enhanced by the feeling of facing nature with a mind that is unaffected by the constant stream of information that characterizes today's society.
"Many people think that the amazing nature and wildlife are the memories you cherish the most when returning from an expedition cruise on Svalbard, but for me the best thing was to experience all the beauty together with other people who were also mentally present. I reflected on it a lot during the trip. No one was online because there was no coverage. Everyone was relaxed. There was absolutely nothing that shifted the guests focus from being present in the moment.”
Isabel held yoga and meditation classes on several occasions during the trip. Both in the lounge, on deck and outdoors with a view do die for.
“Being in nature nourished our senses and our souls with a symphony of stimulus that grounded us firmly in the present moment. Doing yoga also brought people closer together. It is much easier to take a seat next to someone during dinner who you recently practiced odd poses next to. Yoga is disarming and attracts a few laughs.”
As the family's project manager, Isabel appreciated being able to rely fully on the expedition leader and the guides.
“Sure, I was responsible for the yoga, but apart from making decisions about the classes, I could relax completely, just enjoy myself because someone else was in charge of my day. Today, not many are allowed to do a digital detox for a whole week, to not answer you phone or emails, but it was extremely valuable for me personally. I didn't even bring a camera because I didn't want to experience Svalbard through a lens.”
The guests saw arctic foxes, reindeer, walruses, and polar bears. The first polar bear was spotted on the pack ice from a long distance. The other one, a healthy male polar bear, was sleeping on the beach as the M/S Quest passed between two islands.
"We stayed until the bear woke up and after an hour or so we got to see a whole list of cool things a polar bear can do. He swam, pooped, climbed, investigated a house, and played around in the snow, completely unaffected by our presence. It was truly magical!”
Please note: Depending on the lens used for a photo or video shot an animal may appear to be closer than it is. We always follow strict wildlife guidelines to ensure that we do not cause any disturbance.
About Isabel Holmquist
Isabel has been practicing yoga for over 30 years and for the last 15 years she has been teaching and sharing her knowledge full time. Isabel is thrilled to see her students discover yoga. For her, it's like a physical, more creative type of physiotherapy. She focuses on alignment in the body and on understanding how your body works, making friends with it and creating a good relationship with yourself on the mat.
Isabel has been teaching yoga for 15 years. She attended the Gothenburg University of Economics and the initial plan was to take the usual career path, but when she had her first child, she chose to jump off the squirrel wheel and open her own yoga studio in Gothenburg. She wanted to try life as a self-employed person and devote herself to yoga full-time. Since then she has run several yoga studios and today Isabel lives with her family in Åre where she teaches yoga in her own studio.